Dutch investor spat on chief over toilet

Somanya (Eastern Region) - A Dutch investor, John Vonberg, allegedly assaulted a traditional ruler with blows and saliva and asked him to go and ease himself in the bush after the chief demanded of Vonberg to deliver on his promise to provide KVIP toilet for the chief and his people.

The divisional chief of the Yilo Krobo Traditional Council and his elders have since declared John Vonberg a “persona-non-grata at Kplandey, near Somanya in the Eastern Region.

The chief, Nene Akpatsu Azza IV, who disclosed this at a press conference at Somanya last Tuesday, said Vonberg physically attacked him and spat at his face, whiles calling him ‘monkey’ on 16 August 2001. The Dutchman, the chief said, was arrested and granted ?1 million bail by the Airport Police but allegedly jumped bail. The chief is also accusing unnamed officials of conniving with a racist to abscond from police cell.

Nene Akpatsu Azza IV said Vonberg, who is a director of Messieurs Bonsu-Vonberg Farms Limited, acquired a land at Kplandey near Somanya, for teak plantation, four years ago and promised to provide a KVIP for the people. On 16 August 2001, Nene travelled to Accra with two family members, Armstrong Narh and Mate Kroam, to meet a Ghanaian director of the company, Nana Osei Bonsu about the delay in providing the KVIP. But while waiting for him, Vonberg came and took them to his office.

The chief said when he informed Vonberg of their mission, “the white man flew into complete tantrums and started to rain insults on us, calling us monkeys and telling us to go into the bush to shit.”

Narrating the alleged assault, Nene Akpatsu Azza said not only did Vonberg spray saliva directly into his face, he also tore the chief’s neck chain and gave the Krobo royal a hefty slap on his cheek. In this, extreme provocation the chief said he conducted himself with dignity and composure bearing in mind that he was in Vongerg’s office.

The matter was then reported to the Airport Police in Accra, near the place of the incident. The chief told newsmen that the suspect was arrested and granted ?1 million bail but later absconded and his surety, Nana Osei Bonsu, was ordered by a Community Tribunal in Accra to pay the bail bond.

Nene Akpatsu Azza said: “We are confronted with a situation where it is becoming abundantly clear that our own officials have seriously compromised the entire case by unashamedly prejudicing the case and throwing their entire weight behind the racist behaviour of the Dutch national. From what we have heard everything possible is being done to protect the white man’s investment in Ghana.”

He said what is happening clearly shows “a carefully orchestrated attempt by public officials to place Vonberg above the laws of the country and deny us justice.”

“We have no problem with any investor of whatever nationality who wants to do business with us but what we deplore and abhor is a person who comes into this country and who, on the basis of his colour or his means wishes to treat us like nobodies in our own country,” he declared.

Nene Akpatsu Azza, however, said that if Vonberg would regret his action and come forward to render an apology and pacify him, his elders and the family on whose land he has the teak plantation, “we will forgive him of all his sins.”